Bonsai Box
Rubric
Meets:-Create bonsai box with holes in bottom so plant doesn't get waterlogged.
-Glaze box accordingly. -Inset carvings on each panel of box. |
Exceeds:-Create a tray to catch the extra water.
-Glaze tray. -Find an appropriate quote to put on lip of box. (Opt.) |
Preliminaries
Reflection
What is your project? How did you make it? How long did you take?My project is a bonsai box and I constructed it out of clay using a slab method. The box itself took me about two days to completely construct and then two more days to get the detailing and carving done.
What could you have done better on this project?I would've cut all my slabs at the same time so they would've dried evenly.
What are the important elements of your project?As of right now, I think my use of lines and texture are very important. I carved scenes from nature into the sides of my box and I added texture to the lines to make it look realistic. Hopefully when I am able to glaze it, the colors will make the piece stronger as well.
What did you learn from this project?You have to be patient and take your time, because it doesn't always work right the first time and you have to pay attention to all of the little details.
Why did you do this project the way you did? Was it planned? What changes did you make?I've wanted to build a bonsai box for a while, and all of the sudden one day the inspiration came to me. My project went pretty much completely as planned and I didn't make any changes to it.
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What are the strong parts of your project? What did you do well?I think the detail I put into my box is very strong. I spent a lot of time on it and I think it looks very nice.
What is the theme/deeper meaning of your project? What is the unity?My box will hold a bonsai tree, so with the carvings and the fact that it was made out of clay kind of all relate back to nature.
What are the important principles of your project?I used a lot of unity, patterns, and rhythm in this project. The unity is nature, and each panel has the opposite carved similarly, yet differently. The smaller panels are each trees, but one during the summer and one during the winter. The larger panels are carvings of meadows, but the front one has a sunrise and the back one has a starry night scene.
Evaluate/list the design process for your project:First I drew out my preliminaries, then I decided on the dimensions for the box. I cut my slabs for the box, scored and slipped them and put them all together. I then carved out the bottom, put holes in the bottom, and carved insets into the sides. On each inset I carved a scene from nature, and then I built a tray for the box to sit in so that when I water the plant, the water won't all just come out the bottom.
Was it a worthwhile project?I think so, yes, because it taught me you have to be patient and pay attention to little detail. It also taught me that it's better to cut my slabs all at once, rather than do them separately.
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